Data, The Android Who Is Now Human
by Caseyrook
Summary: Thanks to an unknown alien Being, Data's wish of becoming a human is fulfilled.
1. Chapter 1

Commander Will Riker, Lieutenant Commander Worf, and Lieutenant Commander Data of the starship _Enterprise_ beamed down to the uninhabited planet named Sumera Ten.

Because over eighty percent of the planet was covered with mountains that contained an unknown element which heavily distorted communication and technology readings, the three Starfleet officers had come to the surface with the aid of a new beaming probe.

The probe was still in the experimental phase but had proved itself enough that the three were confident in its capabilities. It had worked beautifully as it was launched to the surface ahead of the away team only to ignite a pattern enhancing field that was strong enough to allow the team to reach the surface. The three points of the probes triangular shape worked like pattern enhancing poles used by O'Brien.

Worf studied the large triangular structure that they stood on. Its platform, in the center of the shape, was a dead ringer for the transporter pads back on the ship. "This probe will be very useful for us."

Riker held out his tricorder and surveyed the land ahead of them as he spoke, "It could be useful for the rest of Starfleet too if it wasn't so large."

Data looked at the metal side in front of him and did a quick calculation. "At this point in time it is not possible to build a functioning probe such as this in a smaller size."

Riker glanced at Data for a few seconds and then let his eyes return to the land in the distance. "Thank you, Data."

Data blinked. "You are welcome, Sir."

Worf carefully stepped to an edge of the probe. With both ease and caution, he jumped down and landed on the planet's surface. When he landed on his knees with his hands dug into the earth in front of him he was surprised to find the ground was a mixture of sand, rock fragments and dirt.

Data and Riker were surprised too when they noticed it on landing. (Data did not land on his hands and knees).

Riker took a handful of dirt and studied it in his palm, "I have never seen anything like this."

Worf looked at Riker's palm, "I haven't either."

Getting to the business at hand they all turned their attention to their tricorders.

Data changed and rehanged the settings and pointed his tricorder at different directions around them. "It appears that we are having the same issue that we had on board the _Enterprise._ The signal from the Emergency beacon appears clearly for a few seconds, disappears, and then reappears in a new location."

Riker looked at his own tricorder and attempted a scan also. "Mr. Worf, is there anything we can do to get an accurate location?"

Worf looked at a peak of a mountain in the south. "Perhaps we could get the beacons location if we were at the top of a mountain."

Riker looked to Data for confirmation. "Mr. Data?"

Data looked in the same direction as Worf. "The idea is plausible, Sir."

"Okay then gentlemen. We're climbing that mountain."

After climbing for three hours the trio reached the plateau of the mountain.

Worf reflected on their ascent up the mountain. "That was much easier than I had anticipated."

Riker looked at the probe that shined in the far distance. "Yeah it was more like a hike than a climb."

Data observed that though Lt. Worf and Commander Riker were saying that their climb had been easier than expected, both were taking deeper breaths and had faster than normal heart rates. Of course Data understood that humanoids began to struggle to breath at higher elevations.

Cmdr. Riker must have been struggling to breath more than he wanted to show because he sat on a large boulder to take readings with his tricorder. "I'm picking up a signal from the Eastern side of the plateau." Data and Worf acknowledged that they had the same reading.

The three of them began to advance in that direction. When they reached the exact coordinates that the three tricorders read, they found no indication of a beacon.

"Commander, the mountains are continuing to hinder the tricorder readings. However, the readings indicate that the beacon is somewhere around this area. It is unlikely that all three of the tricorders would lead us here if this location is not where the beacon can be found."

Worf shook his head in agreement. Riker thought it over for a quick few second, made a decision, and stood up.

"Each of us will walk straight ahead in a different direction for exactly ten minutes. When ten minutes is counted, we will turn around and walk straight back to this spot. Assuming that none of us run into trouble, we should all meet back at the same time." Riker looked to Worf and Data. He didn't expect them not to understand but he still asked, "Understood?"

"Yes sir." Said Data and Worf in unison, verifying what Riker already knew.

The three officers nodded, turned to face different directions, and began to walk straight ahead in their separate directions.

Data held his tricorder diligently in front of him, simultaneously reading its data and focusing on his surroundings with each step that he took. After 15 and a half seconds into the eighth minute Data found that he would have to divert off his straight line path and round a boulder that was larger than an _Enterprise_ shuttlecraft.

It went against Commander Riker's exact orders to round the boulder and leave the straight path but Data had evolved to know that that doing so is what Commander Riker would want and that this was a situation that allowed a _loose_ interpretation of orders.

When he rounded the boulder and was back on the straight line path, Data found a curious sight.

Ten meters in front of him was a large circular pit that dug into the earth about twelve feet down.

Data approached it cautiously and peered into the abyss from the edge.

He was surprised to see a being, white as his own skin with red eyes, pinned to the ground by a fallen tree trunk. The eyes looked at him intently for a second, then they shifted to focus on Data's right, and then they looked back at him again.

Data quickly read his tricorder and found that it was not registering any living being.

 _That is odd. The being is alive._

Data accessed his programming for a millisecond and then directed his attention on the being.

"Do you need assistance?"

The being tried to move and failed helplessly, "I am trapped."

From its soothing and gentle voice Data knew it was female.

Data cocked his head thinking the situation over again. Decision reached, he jumped and landed effortlessly into the pit.

Drawing closer to the pinned being he realized that only her head were visible. The rest of her body was shrouded in some way by a robe or dressing of some kind. He attached his tricorder to his waist and then bent down and lifted the tree high above the being's head. It quickly scampered under the arch of the trunk and began to float ethereally in the air.

Data watched the being loom above him in disbelief (or his version of it). In all his memory banks and programming he could not determine what the being was. So he decided it could be the most illogical choice. "Are you a ghost?"

The being shook her head. "No. I am alive."

Data thought about her answer and set the tree truck down, careful to land it where he wouldn't be pinned also.

"Are you native to this planet?"

Once again the floating being shook her head. "No. I am native to the stars."

Data looked down as he continued to contemplate the being's origins.

Before he could speak again, the being spoke. "You are not human."

Now Data shook his head. "No, I am not."

The being floated a bit lower than before. "That makes you sad."

Data blinked. "I cannot feel sad. I can feel no emotions."

The being floated at the same height but came closer to Data.

"You want to be human."

Data shook his head yes this time. "More than anything."

The being said nothing. She only floated lower and closer to Data.

Data considered moving away from her, but something kept him still as he stood watching her. Before he had time to realize what was happening, the being held out her arm as she came nearer.

In a second, she touched his shoulder.

His body became paralyzed everywhere except his neck and head. He looked down and to the side to see her glowing arm.

"What are you?" He managed to say as his positronic brain registered a strange feeling flowing throughout his body.

The being continued to hold onto his shoulder. "I am the One."

Now Data was struggling to speak. Before he could form and verbalize the words, the being let go.

She floated back somewhat, but Data could hardly tell. His vision was deteriorating, and his hearing was fading. Also, his programming was slowing down at an alarming rate.

He became aware that he did not like the unknown feeling emanating through him at all….

The being vanished and Data felt himself lift off the ground.

But by now feeling was all he could do. He was deaf and blind.

The lifting feeling stopped and Data felt himself touch the ground on his stomach. The feeling he didn't like ended.

He went unconscious.

Worf and Riker waited at the meeting spot for ten minutes before they decided to trace Data's steps in the direction he had walked.

After barely a minute Worf read an intriguing result on the tricorder. "Commander! I am picking up human life signs."

Riker stopped in his tracks in front of Worf, and read the same life signs on his own tricorder. "No signs of Data though."

Worf again studied the readings of the tricorder. "No, Sir."

They continued on the path noting the readings grew stronger as they moved further ahead. They advanced until they reached the boulder. Neither thought twice as Data had when they proceeded to go around it.

They halted immediately when Data's body appeared in their visual feed as they finished rounding the boulder.

Worf looked from the tricorder in his hand, to Data's body, to Riker, and back. "Sir? _Data_ is the source of the life signs."

Riker looked at Worf disbelievingly and then looked back at Data.

"How is that possible?" He asked and then rushed to Data.

Kneeling next to Data, Riker looked for something that could be emitting life signs. Finding nothing, he put his hand on Data's shoulder and took it off almost instantly.

Data's body was _warm._

Worf watched over Riker's own shoulder a few feet away. "Commander?"

Riker was lost in the moment and didn't hear Worf's words. He put his hand back on Data's shoulder, now expecting the warmth, and placed his other hand on the other side of Data's torso. Worf understood what Riker was going to do so he joined him.

With great care they both flipped Data's body over, each looking for injuries on his back and limbs.

Now that Data was on his back, Riker put two fingers to and held them to Data's neck. "He has a pulse. It's steady."

Now Riker reached over and pulled up Data's left eye lid. The eye stared straight ahead. Worf and Riker looked at it curiously.

The iris was an awesome shade of green.

Next Riker took the tricorder clipped to Data's waist. It readings read the same readings as the others.

Worf silently put his hand on Data's and felt the skin. It was smooth, and yet rough like a human's.

Needing to do more, Worf bent down further and rested his head on Data's stomach.

He did not hear the grumbling and ticking of machinery, or the faint humming that would normally be heard in an android's body. No he heard the inhale and exhale of organic lungs, a beating heart, and the sounds of a hungry stomach.

Worf lifted his head and looked at Riker. "There is no doubt about it. He is human."

Finally, Riker's facial expression changed. He gave a faint smile. "Uh huh. Wait until we tell the others."

Nearly an hour later, Worf and Riker reached the triangular probe. Worf had carried Data the entire time.

Riker pulled himself onto the metal structure. He leaned down and held out his hands. Worf lifted Data high above his head so that Riker could pull him onto the structure with him. Once Data was safely up there, Worf climbed up too.

When they were all three in the center of the triangle, Riker tapped his communicator. "Away team to _Enterprise._ Three to beam up to Sick Bay."

Dr. Beverly Crusher had been informed immediately when the away team asked to be beamed straight to Sick Bay. She and two other medical officers waited on edge ready to spring to action on a seconds' notice.

In no time at all, the away team materialized. Crusher looked to Riker the moment she realized Data was on the floor. Riker and Worf stood up and moved out of her way, she spoke as she went to Data's side. "Was he deactiv…" Beverly's question trailed off when she made the discovery.

Soundlessly, she put two fingers on Data's neck wanting to feel the pulse herself.

Beverly continued to kneel down. After a minute, she collected herself, and stood up to face the observers.

"How?"

Riker and Worf shook their heads to indicate they had no idea. Riker answered, "We found him on the ground like this."

Beverly nodded to her officers. They picked Data off the floor and set him on a bed.

Beverly surveyed Data with a tricorder once more, performing a more specific series of scans. Just then Captain Picard entered Sick Bay, followed by Counselor Troi.

The captain knew something was wrong as soon as he entered the room. He looked from face to face and then approached Data with a quizzical expression.

Troi could feel that everyone in the room was nervous, on edge, but for some reason, _happy?_

The Captain looked at Data as all the others had done.

Riker decided the news should come from him. "Captain, there is something you should know."

Captain Picard read Riker's body language. He could tell that whatever was going on wasn't a bad thing…

"Data is human."

Captain Picard looked to his First Officer as if he was the victim of an elaborate joke. "Commander. I do not like practical jokes."

Riker held his serious expression. "I'm aware of that, Sir. I'm serious."

The captain looked to Worf, Dr. Crusher, Riker and then back to Data.

He too felt for Data's pulse, found it, and looked up in disbelief.

His only response was to tap his communicator and call Geordie LaForge to Sick Bay.

Geordie looked to each person in the room in astonishment, as his hand remained cupped around Data's wrist where he had felt for a pulse.

"This is a joke." Geordie looked to Captain Picard, and then Commander Riker. "Right?"

Everyone in the room showed a facial expression of complete seriousness.

Geordie looked back to Data. "Congratulations Data. However, it happened, you're human."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews.**

 **This chapter lacks a conscious Data for the most part, but I felt like it was necessary to see how the others take Data's situation. So please forgive me if it wasn't as good as the first.**

 **Also, please review.**

The senior officers were gathered in the Observation Lounge. Each had a file that held every piece of information on Data's transition that they had.

Captain Picard spread himself out in his chair and rubbed his forehead. They had been bouncing theories off each other for going on three hours, and each theory became increasingly more impossible and absurd than the last.

He sighed, deciding it was time to bring up the elephant in the room. "I hope I am not alone when I say that the only plausible theory I can offer is…"

Riker, Troi, Dr. Crusher, Geordi, and Worf, all finished his statement with him in unison, _"_ _Q."_

Picard looked at them. "So I'm not alone then. Good. I was worried."

Riker leaned back in his chair and swiveled a few centimeters to his left. "Why would Q go to that planet just to turn Data into a human?"

Worf looked directly at Riker with a dead serious expression. "Because. He's Q."

Troi readjusted herself in her chair and put her clasped hands on the table. "Q usually shows up and t _hen_ plays his games with us." Now she looked to the end of the table at the Captain. "Did you see Q?"

The Captain answered in a way that suggested he wasn't too happy about that direct question from Troi but was choosing to let it go. "No I didn't Deanna, and you know that I always tell someone when Q has popped back up into my life."

Dr. Crusher was the most worried about Data and had been silent for the last thirty minutes. The others were somewhat surprised when he she chimed in again. "Data saved Q's life once. Maybe he turned him into a human to say thanks."

Geordi scooted closer to the table. "Doctor, Q offered Data the chance to become human and Data didn't accept."

Riker started to smile and then broke into a full on laugh as he remembered that day. "Yeah. You remember? Q paid Data back by making him laugh."

And as everyone remembered Data laughing, they laughed too, even Worf…except for the Captain.

The Captain realized the time and surmised that they had been sitting there so long there was no use in continuing on with the meeting. Once he stood up, everyone noticed and went silent. "I think it's time to call it a night, everyone. Lt. Worf, you have the Night Watch."

The Captain left the room, and the rest of the staff stayed silent until he was out of earshot. Riker took the opportunity to make a joke he had been waiting to make for a very long time. "You know, it's my duty as First Officer to see to it that the Captain develops a sense of humor."

Riker's joke was successful as five minutes later, even Worf's side hurt from laughing.

A few hours later in Sick Bay, Dr. Crusher found the Captain sitting on a metal rolling stool and watching Data sleep.

He looked alone in his thoughts until he spoke to her. "Is he _really_ a human being?"

Beverly looked at Data for a moment and then back at the Captain. "Everything I learned in medical school says he is. Are you doubting that he is?"

"Doubting it? No. But I am worried that Q or another mischievous entity has had a hand in this. I'm worried that if for whatever reason Data isn't a human being, and this is an illusion or something else, the situation could have a resounding impact on Data. What if he is still an Android at this moment, and we only believe he is human?"

Dr. Crusher walked to the Captain and leaned down to tell him something that she didn't want anyone else to overhear. "My nurses have had to change his bedding. Twice."

Picard gave a look to Beverly that said he didn't need to know that but she ignored it. "You can't get more human than that."

Picard shook his head. "Indeed."

Clearly Beverly successfully made her captain uncomfortable. So she changed the topic, "In fact, Data can probably hear us talking right now."

Picard pushed the stool to the right so he could face Beverly. "If he can hear us, then he can hear me _order_ him to wake up _now._ "

Picard twisted himself a little bit to see if Data reacted. He didn't.

Now the Captain stood up once more and went to the side of Data's bed. The doctor joined him on the left.

"All that aside Beverly, how is he?"

Dr. Crusher put her hands in the pockets of her white coat. "The same as he has been all day. Healthy, with a strong pulse, good lungs, no injuries, and no foreseeable reason to be unconscious. And if you want to ask me when he'll wake up, you might as well leave now. I've been asked that by 107 people so far and I don't think I can tolerate being asked again. Even if I'm asked by a captain."

Picard showed no expression when he asked his next question. "What about an admiral?"

Beverly smiled softly. She did love those moments when the Captain interacted with her as her friend and not her superior, but sometimes that friendship brought forth a wise ass.

"Good night, Jean Luc."

He took the hint and walked away

Two days later at that same time of night (Midnight by Earth's standards) Dr. Crusher sat at her desk in her office in Sick Bay. She was reading an obscure article by a reclusive robotics scientist who claimed that one Dr. Noonien Soong had once stolen his schematics for the Android that would be known as _Data._

Dr. Crusher knew that this recluse was lying through his teeth (because she knew that Data was not the first Android created by Dr. Soong) and considered writing her own article explaining why the article was bogus, but then she remembered why she was reading that article in the first place and ignored it.

She was about to ask the computer to show her the results for her query again, when she heard a soft clanging sound come from the main patient room.

Once she entered she noticed that Data's bed was empty.

Walking softly to the bathroom, she peaked in the doorway where she could see the light was on.

Data was standing in front of the mirror. He had his left hand up to his face and was gently rubbing the tip of his index finger up and down his cheek. Data had three days' worth of beard growth and that was apparently a big deal to him.

He was grinning from ear to ear as he watched his reflection.

The doctor watched him for a few seconds before he saw her standing behind him in the mirror. He turned around, somewhat startling her.

"Dr. Crusher. I am _really_ human?"

"Yes Data. You're very human. The question is: How did you get that way?"

Data took his hand off his beard and dropped it to his side. "I freed an alien being that had been pinned underneath a tree trunk in the bottom of a very large pit on Sumera Ten. In its gratitude, the being changed me."

Dr. Crusher listened. "So it wasn't Q? Good. We were worried."

"Doctor? How long have I been unconscious?" As he spoke, Beverly noticed that he was squinting.

"Just about three days." Data felt his beard again and turned back to the reflection in the mirror. "You know, my nurses wanted to shave that beard but I told them that you would be most pleased with it when you woke up."

Data looked back at the doctor long enough to ask his question. "How long will it take me to grow a beard as full as Commander Riker's?"

Beverly spoke to Data's reflection. "I don't know. You'll have to ask the Commander that yourself."


	3. Chapter 3

Beverly could not get Data to go back to sleep. She could not get him to settle down either.

Once the realization that he _was_ completely and organically human set in, Data entered into a sort of tactile shock and began to wander the Sick Bay wanting to touch everything he could get his hands on.

Beverly resolved to deal with Data alone. For one thing, she felt it was best that Data integrated into his new human form slowly. This meant that she wanted to hold off on informing the other 1,012 crew members that he was awake. And on the other hand, telling the Senior staff especially would just cause all key Bridge crew to yawn on duty. They needed their sleep more than they needed to know Data was awake.

After twenty minutes it became apparent that the former Android's frenzy was interrupting the other few patients in Sick Bay so Beverly took the opportunity and grabbed Data by his arm.

She led him into the area outside her office and he immediately went to a counter aligning the wall.

Beverly stood in front of her office door with Data's back turned to her.

"Data, couldn't you feel things before?"

Data set the syringe in his hand down and then picked up a metal tray. He answered the doctor's question as he swiped his index and middle fingers from one end of the tray to the other. "Yes, Doctor. But everything felt the same. I could only distinguish the feeling of one surface from another by the ridges, imperfections, scratches, indents, temperature, uh, _textures_ that made the surfaces dissimilar."

The one good thing about all this was that Data made it a point to be quiet as possible.

He paused a moment and looked to see if Dr. Crusher was still paying attention, as he had his back turned her for most of the sentence. "For instance, this metal tray would feel the same way to me as _that_ plastic tray."

Beverly looked from one tray to the other. "I never realized that."

She didn't understand but kept that fact to herself.

Data put the metal tray down and then picked up a cloth. He continued his ritual of feeling with his middle and index finger as he spoke. "Just as I never realized that humans experience tactile sensation in this way either." Data began to throw the cloth in the air, seemingly fascinated by the act of catching it.

Beverly allowed him to throw it three times and then caught in for him. "Data, I think we should move into your quarters."

For the first time all night, Data looked her straight in the eye.

"You said that you did not think I should leave Sick Bay."

Beverly paused for a few seconds in order to decide how she could tell Data that he was being annoying and still make it sound like she meant it in a nice way.

She couldn't find the words that would convey that message so she counted her blessings when Riker sauntered into Sick Bay.

"Data! You're awake." Riker smiled but also showed a feeling of sudden relief.

Data turned to see the Commander. "As are you, Commander." Both Riker and Beverly could tell that Data meant no disrespect with the way he replied. He was merely making an observation.

Crusher addressed Riker. "Yes he's awake and I was just about to kick him out of Sick Bay."

Data looked puzzled. "You were? May I ask why?"

"Because normally the patients in Sick Bay at this time are asleep." Beverly answered with the slightest inflection of annoyance in her voice that Data did not detect and Riker did.

Riker glanced at the doctor. "You want me to take him?"

Beverly glanced at Data as she realized that they were speaking of Data as if he were a child, but then again in a way, he sort of was.

By then Data had walked across the room in order to feel the coarse sensation of a gelled ice pack. He was out of earshot if the two talked quietly.

Beverly crossed her arms over her chest. "I know he can't help it but he is driving me insane."

They watched Data move onto another object with a coarse texture. Beverly recognized that Data's single mindedness was getting worse. Not only was he feeling objects but he was now tossing certain objects in the air, and he was going from object to object at a quicker pace.

Riker towered over Beverly and looked down at her as he stood by her side. "Is he…" Riker struggled to find the right word. When he couldn't find a more specific word he settled for, "Okay?"

Beverly nodded somewhat. "You and I and every other human being discovered the world around us as we grew from our infancy to our toddler years. It's a gradual process that allows for the equally gradual process of neural development. I think what we're seeing from Data is a sort of sensory induced shock."

Riker returned his gaze to Data. "Is there anything you can do to treat it?"

"I could give him a sedative but frankly I'm still unwilling to give him anything that would alter his body chemistry. I think the best thing we could do for him is keep a reign on him and see to it that he doesn't experience more stimuli than is necessary."

Riker gleamed. "So then I shouldn't take him directly to Ten Forward?"

Beverly was only slightly amused. "Definitely not."

A few minutes later Data and Riker were walking down one of the ships longest corridors. Data was sliding his hand down along the wall as he went forward.

The Commander became aware that Data was struggling with walking in a straight line and made it a point to give him a wide berth. Sometimes one step from Data would put the two men closer to each other than was comfortable for anyone.

They reached Data's quarter's. After a few seconds they each looked up at the door curiously. Normally doors would open automatically for the people who were assigned to those specific quarters.

Data tapped the controls on the door panels The door didn't budge and the authoritative voice of the ship's computer provided the answer why: **You do not currently have access to these quarters.**

Riker stayed silent and let Data fight his battle with the computer alone for now. "Computer, these are my quarters."

 **Please verify identity.**

Data became slightly irritated. "Lieutenant Commander Data. Second Officer."

The computer chirped before answering as it always did when compiling an appropriate response. **Lieutenant Commander Data is not on board the** _ **Enterprise.**_

Now Data was very irritated. Riker finally stepped in as he secretly suppressed to laugh at the funny situation. "Computer, allow us to access Commander Data's quarters. Authorization Riker Omega 7."

The computer said nothing more and the door slid open with ease.

"Once he's awake I'll inform Geordie that he needs to reenter you into the ship's manifest. Hopefully he'll be able to get the computer to understand that you are the same Data as before, and just register differently on the internal scanners. Once he does, I'll also remind the Captain that he needs to formally re-accept your position as Second Officer."

Data, of course, understood. "Hopefully it will be easier than it was to get the computer to differentiate between you and Lt. Riker."

Riker nodded and sat himself down on Data's couch. Data began to walk around his quarters bent forward slightly.

Riker then understood that Data was looking for Spot, his cat from Hell.

And after a minute he found Spot. The feline was curled up in a corner behind Data's desk.

Data bent down further and as his hand went closer to the creature, Spot's eyes opened. With a resounding, "MEOW!", dagger-like claws sliced into the skin of Data's wrist and forearm.

He raised himself so he stood up straight. He held his left hand with his right and seemed enthralled by the sight of the red blood that was slowly breaking from the skin.

Riker chose to say nothing, on the basis that it may hurt Data's feelings.

"Apparently, Spot does not recognize me any more than the ship's computer." Data spoke and seemed to ignore the blood.

"Data, you're bleeding."

Data looked down once again. "Shall I call, Dr. Crusher?"

Riker got on his feet and walked to Data. He then reached over and pulled the Second Officer's left hand closer so he could get a good look.

The cat scratches were severe for cat scratches but they were nonetheless superficial and not worth Beverly's attention. Besides, she wouldn't heal these wounds anyway. Not when she was unwilling to affect Dara's body chemistry.

Instead, Riker elected to go inside Data's bathroom (which was only ever used by Data as an extra closet as he hadn't needed to use it for any other purpose. Until now.)

In the smaller room, Riker opened a drawer and pulled out a Personal Med-Kit that could be found in that same drawer in every crew quarters.

He carried it back to the other room and motioned for Data to sit down on the couch. Sitting next to him, Riker applied a clear gel on the wounds to stop the bleeding. Once it did, Riker wiped the gel away, poured on peroxide, and then, guessing what Beverly would say about his medical prowess, put a rectangle cut of cotton on the wounds and secured it with gauze and tape.

This was almost a medieval treatment in the day's terms, but for the moment, it worked.

Data sat there still as Riker worked. When Riker finished, Data spoke. "I cannot recall Dr. Crusher or any other medical officer treating superficial wounds in this way."

Riker closed the kit. "Beverly has done enough for you today."

Data remembered the question he meant to ask earlier. "Who took care of Spot in my absence?"

"Counselor Troi. Lt. Barclay. And, Alexander Rozhenko."


End file.
